Connector bracket

Abstract

Brackets may be mated with or coupled to an opening of an electronic device enclosure or housing for receiving plug connectors to reinforce the receptacle connector and/or device housing and potentially reduce damage/breakage. For example, a bracket can have a front face with a curvature. A back face of the bracket can include a first opening that communicates with a cavity. The cavity can be defined at least in part by upper and lower opposing inner surfaces, the lower inner surface including a portion that extends parallel to a portion of the bracket front face. The bracket can also include a hollow protrusion extending from the bracket front face in a front direction. The hollow protrusion can include an opening that communicates with the opening of the back face and extends through the hollow protrusion. Methods for manufacturing the connector bracket are also provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A bracket, comprising:
 a bracket front face having a curvature; 
 a bracket back face including a first opening that communicates with a cavity, the cavity defined at least in part by:
 upper and lower opposing inner surfaces, the lower inner surface including a portion that extends parallel to a portion of the bracket front face; and 
 
 a hollow protrusion extending from the bracket front face in a front direction; 
 a second opening that communicates with the first opening and extends through the hollow protrusion; and 
 a bracket upper face and a bracket lower face, which faces oppose each other. 
 
     
     
       2. The bracket of  claim 1 , wherein the second opening further comprises:
 planar upper and lower second opening inner surfaces; and 
 right and left arcuate second opening inner surfaces, the right and left arcuate second opening inner surfaces extending between the upper and lower second opening inner surfaces. 
 
     
     
       3. The bracket of  claim 2 , wherein the hollow protrusion further comprises:
 planar upper and lower hollow protrusion outer surfaces that extend from the bracket front face; 
 right and left arcuate hollow protrusion outer surfaces that extend from the bracket front face, the right and left arcuate hollow protrusion outer surfaces extending between the upper and the lower hollow protrusion outer surfaces; and 
 a hollow protrusion front face extending from the upper and lower outer hollow protrusion surfaces and the right and left arcuate hollow protrusion outer surfaces, the hollow protrusion front face extending in a right to left direction and an upper to lower direction; and 
 wherein the second opening further comprises:
 an upper second opening bevel surface extending between the hollow protrusion front face and the planar upper second opening inner surface; 
 a lower second opening bevel surface extending between the hollow protrusion front face and the planar lower second opening inner surface; 
 a left arcuate second opening bevel surface extending between the hollow protrusion front face and the left arcuate second opening inner surface; and 
 a right arcuate second opening bevel surface extending between the hollow protrusion front face and the right arcuate second opening inner surface. 
 
 
     
     
       4. The bracket of  claim 1 , wherein the bracket further comprises:
 first and second fastener openings oriented in planes that are parallel to the bracket upper face and disposed on first and second protrusions that extend from left and right lower portions of the bracket front face, respectively. 
 
     
     
       5. The bracket of  claim 1 , wherein the cavity is further defined by:
 left and right alignment surfaces including left and right openings, respectively, the left and right openings oriented in a front to back direction. 
 
     
     
       6. A bracket for mating with a receptacle connector and an opening of a housing of an electronic device, the bracket comprising:
 a bracket front face; 
 a bracket back face; 
 the bracket front face comprising:
 an upper portion including a planar center upper portion and left and right upper portions, the left upper portion having a curvature extending from the center upper portion toward a back direction and a left direction; the right upper portion having a curvature extending from the center upper portion toward the back direction and a right direction; 
 a lower portion including a center lower portion and left and right lower portions, the center lower portion having a curvature extending from the planar center upper portion toward the back direction and a lower direction, the right lower portion having a curvature extending from the center lower portion toward the back and right directions, the left lower portion having a curvature extending from the center lower portion toward the back and lower directions; 
 
 a hollow protrusion extending in a front direction; 
 a first elongated opening extending through the hollow protrusion and the bracket, from the front bracket face to the back bracket face, the first elongated opening comprising:
 planar upper and lower first elongated opening inner surfaces that extend parallel to the upper and lower hollow protrusion outer surfaces, respectively; 
 right and left arcuate first elongated opening inner surfaces, the right and left arcuate first elongated opening inner surfaces extending between the upper and lower first elongated opening inner surfaces, the right and left first elongated opening arcuate inner surfaces extending in a direction concentric with the right and left arcuate hollow protrusion outer surfaces, respectively; 
 
 the bracket back face comprising:
 an irregularly shaped opening that communicates with a cavity, the cavity defined at least in part by:
 upper and lower opposing irregularly shaped opening inner surfaces, the lower irregularly shaped opening inner surface including a portion that extends parallel to the lower center portion of the bracket front face; and 
 left and right opposing irregularly shaped opening inner surfaces; and 
 left and right alignment surfaces including left and right openings, respectively, the left and right openings oriented in a front to back direction; and 
 
 a second elongated opening, the second elongated opening corresponding to and larger than the first elongated opening, the second elongated opening comprising:
 a planar lower second elongated opening inner surface that extends parallel to the lower first elongated opening inner surface; 
 right and left arcuate second elongated opening inner surfaces extending between the upper irregularly shaped opening inner surface and the lower second elongated opening inner surface, the right and left arcuate second elongated opening inner surfaces extending in a direction concentric with the right and left arcuate hollow protrusion inner surfaces, respectively; and 
 
 
 a bracket upper face and a bracket lower face, which faces oppose each other and are oriented in planes that are parallel. 
 
     
     
       7. The bracket of  claim 6 , wherein the hollow protrusion comprises:
 planar upper and lower hollow protrusion outer surfaces that extend from the bracket front face; 
 right and left arcuate hollow protrusion outer surfaces that extend from the bracket front face, the right and left arcuate hollow protrusion outer surfaces extending between the upper and the lower hollow protrusion outer surfaces; and 
 a hollow protrusion front face extending from the upper and lower outer hollow protrusion surfaces and the right and left arcuate hollow protrusion outer surfaces, the hollow protrusion front face extending in a right to left direction and an upper to lower direction. 
 
     
     
       8. The bracket of  claim 7 , wherein the first elongated opening further comprises:
 an upper first elongated opening bevel surface extending between the hollow protrusion front face and the planar upper first elongated opening inner surface; 
 a lower first elongated opening bevel surface extending between the hollow protrusion front face and the planar lower first elongated opening inner surface; 
 a left arcuate first elongated opening bevel surface extending between the hollow protrusion front face and the left arcuate first elongated opening inner surface; and 
 a right arcuate first elongated opening bevel surface extending between the hollow protrusion front face and the right arcuate first elongated opening inner surface. 
 
     
     
       9. The bracket of  claim 6 , wherein the second elongated opening further comprises:
 a lower second elongated opening bevel surface extending between the lower first elongated opening inner surface and the lower second elongated opening inner surface; 
 a left arcuate bevel surface extending between the left arcuate first elongated opening inner surface and the left arcuate second elongated opening inner surface; and 
 a right arcuate bevel surface extending between the right arcuate first elongated opening inner surface and the right arcuate second elongated opening inner surface. 
 
     
     
       10. The bracket of  claim 6 , wherein the bracket further comprises first and second fastener openings oriented in planes that are parallel to the bracket upper face and disposed on first and second protrusions that extend from the left and right lower portions of the bracket front face, respectively. 
     
     
       11. The bracket of  claim 6 , wherein the lower portion of the bracket front face is shaped to be flush with a portion of an inner spline shaped surface of a back face of the electronic device. 
     
     
       12. The bracket of  claim 6 , wherein the hollow protrusion is configured and sized to be received by the opening of the housing of the electronic device. 
     
     
       13. The bracket of  claim 6 , wherein the first elongated opening is configured and sized to receive a plug connector corresponding to the receptacle connector; and wherein the second elongated opening is configured and sized to receive a lip of the receptacle connector. 
     
     
       14. A bracket for mating with a receptacle connector and an opening of a housing of an electronic device, the bracket comprising:
 a planar bracket upper face and a planar bracket lower face, which faces oppose each other; 
 first and second fastener openings disposed on left and right portions of the bracket upper face, respectively; 
 a bracket front face having a curvature extending from the bracket upper face toward a back direction and a lower direction; 
 a hollow protrusion extending in a front direction; 
 a first elongated opening extending through the hollow protrusion and the bracket, from the front bracket face to the back bracket face, the first elongated opening comprising:
 planar upper and lower first elongated opening inner surfaces that extend parallel to the upper and lower hollow protrusion outer surfaces, respectively; 
 right and left arcuate first elongated opening inner surfaces, the right and left arcuate first elongated opening inner surfaces extending between the upper and lower first elongated opening inner surfaces, the right and left first elongated opening arcuate inner surfaces extending in a direction concentric with the right and left arcuate hollow protrusion outer surfaces, respectively; 
 
 a planar bracket back face comprising:
 a second elongated opening communicating with the first elongated opening, the second elongated opening larger than the first elongated opening in a right to left direction and the upper to lower direction thereby forming a first ledge extending between the first and second elongated openings, the first ledge oriented in a plane that is parallel to the bracket back face; 
 a third elongated opening communicating with the second elongated opening, the third elongated opening larger than the second elongated opening in the right to left direction thereby forming a second ledge extending between the second and third elongated openings, the second ledge oriented in a plane that is parallel to the bracket back face; 
 a fourth elongated opening communicating with the third elongated openings, the fourth elongated opening larger than the third elongated opening in the right to left and the upper to lower directions thereby forming a third ledge extending between the third and fourth elongated openings, the third ledge oriented in a plane that is parallel to the bracket back face; and 
 a fifth elongated opening communicating with the fourth elongated openings, the fifth elongated opening larger than the fourth elongated opening in the right to left and the upper to lower directions thereby forming a fourth ledge extending between the fourth and fifth elongated openings, the fourth ledge oriented in a plane that is parallel to the bracket back face and including first and second alignment openings on a right and a left portion of the fourth ledge, respectively; 
 
 a bracket right face extending from the bracket front face towards the back direction and a right direction; and 
 a bracket left face extending from the bracket front face towards the back direction and a left direction. 
 
     
     
       15. The bracket of  claim 14 , wherein the hollow protrusion comprises:
 planar upper and lower hollow protrusion outer surfaces that extend from the bracket front face; 
 right and left arcuate hollow protrusion outer surfaces that extend from the bracket front face, the right and left arcuate hollow protrusion outer surfaces extending between the upper and the lower hollow protrusion outer surfaces; and 
 a hollow protrusion front face extending from the upper and lower outer hollow protrusion surfaces and the right and left arcuate hollow protrusion outer surfaces, the hollow protrusion front face extending in a right to left direction and an upper to lower direction. 
 
     
     
       16. The bracket of  claim 15 , wherein the first elongated opening further comprises:
 an upper first elongated opening bevel surface extending between the hollow protrusion front face and the planar upper first elongated opening inner surface; 
 a lower first elongated opening bevel surface extending between the hollow protrusion front face and the planar lower first elongated opening inner surface; 
 a left arcuate first elongated opening bevel surface extending between the hollow protrusion front face and the left arcuate first elongated opening inner surface; and 
 a right arcuate first elongated opening bevel surface extending between the hollow protrusion front face and the right arcuate first elongated opening inner surface. 
 
     
     
       17. The bracket of  claim 15 , wherein one or more of the first, second, third and fourth ledges are configured to be disposed adjacent to corresponding lips of the receptacle connector when the receptacle connector is mated with the bracket. 
     
     
       18. The bracket of  claim 15 , wherein the bracket front face is shaped to be flush with a portion of an inner spline shaped surface of a back face of the electronic device. 
     
     
       19. The bracket of  claim 15 , wherein the hollow protrusion is configured and sized to be received by the opening of the housing of the electronic device. 
     
     
       20. The bracket of  claim 15 , wherein the first elongated opening is configured and sized to receive a plug connector corresponding to the receptacle connector.